September 21, 2013

Trophy Cupcakes & Parties!

I love cookbooks. LOVE cookbooks. But adding one more to an already bursting-at-the-seams assortment hardly seems necessary in my case. That said, when invited to be a part of the virtual book tour with the chance to get a pre-launch sneak peek at the new book Trophy Cupcakes & Parties! by Jennifer Shea of famed Seattle cupcakery Trophy, I mean, I had to at least look! Right? (Um, yeah!) Well, this freshman entry into my cookbook collection catapulted straight toward the top of the senior class, kids. Lemme tell ya. And that is because it is so much more than just a cookbook.

They always say that the best tools in the kitchen are typically the ones that perform beyond one function and that's precisely why that little beauty of a book up there will remain a keeper. Aside from the fact that it's a visual treat to peruse through, and that there are cupcake recipes aplenty (and you know papa knows his way 'round a cupcake), it has inspiration galore for throwing a fantastic fête. There are lots of wonderful party theme offerings but Jennifer also gives you the tools to generate your own celebratory ideas with her "Truly Terrific Theme Generator" worksheet. And I love that she is encouraging her readers to not simply do as she does but do as you would do - with some Trophy-style flair! (With the idea of initially just testing a recipe, I got all sorts of inspired to get my party craft on, too! Keep reading!)

Now, y'all know that your uncle loves to get his bake on and I'm no stranger to gittin' cupcakey wid it. So, the first thing I had to test out was a cupcake recipe and I immediately went for the Pink Champagne Cupcakes. Pink? Champagne? Cupcakes? DUH! Bubbles and baking are so up my alley! Following the recipe was easy-breezy and, no lie, the final results were damn tasty (to celebrate the official day of the book launch, I'll be posting the recipe on Tuesday, September 24th). Plus, I also gave a go at trying out one of the piping techniques outlined in the book - the "Vintage Ruffle" - and I'd say the results are pretty pleasing, don't you think? (Is it wrong for me to be winking and making a kiss face at myself in the mirror right now? Okay. Let's forget I mentioned that and keep reading.)

Just looking at the pages of the book and I totally busted out my party crafty! With cupcakes baking in the oven, I was digging through my stash of crafting supplies - papers, ribbons, circular paper punches, and, yes, the glue gun - to set the stage for my party. (A pretend party, admittedly, but the cats seemed to have a good time.) In a surprisingly short amount of time, I had created my own color-coordinated confetti and garlands along with the cupcake liner award ribbons (up above) that are featured in the book. Super cute, eh?! And so simple for such spectacular results! Part of Jennifer's philosophy is "make every day a party" and putting her book to the test proved how easy it is to make that possible. Cheers to that!